"“The Heritage Foundation pays about $2 million to sponsor Limbaugh’s show and about $1.3 million to do the same with Hannity’s — and considers it money well spent.

“‘We approach it the way anyone approaches advertising: Where is our audience that wants to buy what you sell?’ Genevieve Wood, Heritage’s vice president for operations and marketing. ‘And their audiences obviously fit that model for us. They promote conservative ideas and that’s what we do.’

“Last month, in the midst of a flurry of scrutiny of GOP presidential candidates’ stances on health insurance mandates similar to one included in the 2010 Democratic healthcare overhaul, Limbaugh took to the airwaves to defend Heritage’s past support for such a proposal.

“‘The Heritage Foundation to this day says they are being impugned and misrepresented in terms of their advocacy for such a thing,’ Limbaugh said, explaining that the venerable think tank ‘abandoned the idea once they saw it implemented’ and realized ‘it doesn’t work’ …”"

"Understand: We are not talking about commercials, separated from the main flow of editorial content. Heritage work is embedded and inserted directly into the editorial flow of the Limbaugh program, as if selected without regard to the money paid.

Also understand: It's not just Limbaugh, and it's not just Heritage."

Do Limbaugh fans even care? More importantly, would they ever question their ideological leaders? (no)

I often agree with Rush, but I didn't really start to like him till I saw him on the Haney Project. He competitive spirit and goofy presentation to the cameras was really humanizing. I might buy the tea just to say I have.

And alpha, conservatives believe in free enterprise. Benjamins are fine baby, and we admit that. Rush is an unrepetant capitalist, and The Heritage Foundation believes that they get good results from advertising through him. No problem.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, we have news reports this morning that the Bush/Cheney/Vader Administration sought to use US intelligence agencies to spy on a university professor who dissented with their invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Because nothing says "freedom" like using spies to suppress free speech.

University professor Ann Althouse expected to take Cheney's side in this infringement on citizen and academic freedom.

Speaking as a veteran broadcaster, Alpha, I would suggest you go research exactly what constitutes "pay for play" and get back to us. You're also forgetting the fact that Rush owns his show. This is wholly unlike some rock jock accepting money/stuff for playing a given studio or artists work.

AlphaLiberal abandons his shocked shocked!! pearl-clutching when Democratic-controlled lobbyists write legislation for health care and cap-and-trade, the laws that were never read by the Democratic congressman who voted yes.

That is, it's not the hypocrisy he rejects, it's just that they aren't on his side.

Those on the left, do not worry. I'm sure Gwyneth Paltrow will be coming out with her own brand of tea very soon. It'll be more natural, with the tea leaves hand-picked by an indigenous group somewhere, and a portion of each purchase to be donated to an organization who claims to be saving the earth and all of mankind. Or...humankind. Or...something...

Exactly, garage. The ones that have used pay-to-play to:1) Write the Obamacare laws2) Get waivers from Obamacare3) Save bankrupt auto industries4) Save auto dealerships5) "200 of [Obama's] biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events"

Garage and Alpha:"Heritage pays to write copy for a political radio show!!1!"

Rush actually resembles Paul Revere.Rush's role could be compared to Paul Revere's, in that he raises the alarm against forces that would suppress American freedom and independence. I think the Flag Code, with regards to advertizing, has been ignored for so many decades that it is (sadly) not reasonable to expect people to adhere to it. The flag isn't supposed to be worn on clothing, either, which I heard discussed a lot in the '70s. I would be happy just to see people put their hands over their hearts during the national anthem. And for men to take off their hats. And for everyone to stop talking and squirming around.

It's a nonstory to anyone who actually listens to the show. It's the kind of radio ad where the host starts talking about the product, and you might be fooled at first about whether it's an ad or not. It's like what Barry Farber used to do with Gold Bond Powder. Rush used to do it with mattresses and hot water heaters. It's a long-time traditional style of radio ad.

"It is not a matter of sponsorship or commercials. It is more than that. It is "I will include mention of your group in my editorial content if you grease my palm.""

That's what you say when you don't listen to the show. You are not talking to people who like the show, who can immediately tell that you don't know what you're talking about. You're can only talk to the kind of people who hate Rush without listening to the show, the people who will buy that he's a big old racist and sexist, etc. etc. etc. Boring! If you want to criticize Rush, do your homework. Listen to the show for a month. Subscribe to the website and download a month of podcasts and listen. When you're up to speed, try to communicate with the people who understand the show.

Pogo, where in the article you linked to was it stated physicians were leaving their practices because they could no longer afford to stay in business?

Here's the key paragraph describing motive:

"Physicians tell the survey that they are increasingly attracted to the benefits offered by hospital-based employment opportunities, which include: relief from administrative responsibilities; greater access to leading healthcare information technology tools, facilities and equipment; and a more manageable work week and stability."

There may very well be physicians giving up their practices because they cannot afford to keep them going, (and this is true of private business owners in all fields of endeavor), but this is not stated in the article you link to.

yes, pearl clutching is perfect for the lefty clowns. Their political heroes are whoring out legislation to favor their political allies and alpha/garage are pissed off about Rush Limbaugh agreeing with the Heritage Foudation.

Guys, you realise that this isn't much of a smoking gun about anything? That your j'accuse is just more drama queenery and "look, an evil rightwinger!" moronic fingerpointing, right?

Speaking of Rush, I'm wondering when he (or any radio guy) will take on the two big issues of this summer: Operation Gunrunner and Obama's illegal war in Libya. I know "it's the economy, stupid", but exposing criminality and deception in the Admin. is important, too. Especially when bodies are piling up.

Ordered some because Rush designed it, I like Rush, I like tea, and I'm curious how good it is. If its bad tea I'm not going to keep drinking it just on the off chance I'll wander by a liberal and he'll get annoyed by the label. There are easier and cheaper ways to annoy liberals. Its not hard.

It's like what Barry Farber used to do with Gold Bond Powder. Rush used to do it with mattresses and hot water heaters. It's a long-time traditional style of radio ad.

I'll add that anything that I've ever tried based on the ads like this has been really fantastic. My husband had some Sharry's Berries (advertised on Hannity, I think) sent to my office last week for our aniversary, and WOW, were they good.

I have a hearing impairment (not nearly as severe as Rush's), and am really curious about that new surgical procedure that Rush has been touting. Unfortunately, it's $30,000 that is not covered by insurance, so out of the question, but I'd bet it's really a great breakthrough.

It's like what Barry Farber used to do with Gold Bond Powder. Rush used to do it with mattresses and hot water heaters. It's a long-time traditional style of radio ad.

I'll add that anything that I've ever tried based on the ads like this has been really fantastic. My husband had some Sharry's Berries (advertised on Hannity, I think) sent to my office last week for our aniversary, and WOW, were they good.

I have a hearing impairment (not nearly as severe as Rush's), and am really curious about that new surgical procedure that Rush has been touting. Unfortunately, it's $30,000 that is not covered by insurance, so out of the question, but I'd bet it's really a great breakthrough.

I'll add that anything that I've ever tried based on the ads like this has been really fantastic.

Any jock worth their salt will not do live reads (the type of advertising we're talking about here) for a product or service they don't believe in. The reason is that, unlike pre-produced "rip'n'reads", the talent is marrying his/her name and show directly to the customer. For this reason, in anything larger than a medium market, the jock is usually given leave to say yay or nay to the sales reps trying to get them to do these on their show.

Thus, the live reads tend to be superior if in no other light than the opinion of the host.

Cuz, you know, the truly courageous just sit meekly in the corner paying punitive taxes levied by imperial edict. Garage = the lapdog Governor Hutchinson praising the wisdom and beneficence of the corrupt king while supporting increasing taxation of his countrymen.

From Limbaugh's tea site:"Two If By Tea™ is proud to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Two If By Tea™ is a proud sponsor of the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation and will donate a minimum of $100,000 to MC-LEF beginning in June 2011."

OH NO! Libtard heads just exploded. How dare he give money to our military. All money belongs to the corrupt democrats and The State. [and George Soror and Media Matters]

If I recall correctly, Garage attended a Tea Party rally in Madison a while back and was surprisingly honest & gracious enough to admit that the Tea Partiers he saw there were real (not make believe), ordinary (not loony-extremist), decent (not hateful racist) human beings. But alas, it turns out they were Astroturf all along... or, that suprising moment of honesty & graciousness was a one-time aberration. Oh well.

One can always count on garage to echo the George Soros funded, Media Matters manufactured out of nothing leftwing propaganda bullshit about how the TP isn't real because some right leaning rich guy somewhere sent them some money.

I mean really. Medai Matters is the epitome of astroturf organizing to manufacture consent and garage and other lefties can't see how dumb it makes their j'accuse! charges of phoniness when aimed at anybody.

Garage: The tea party is really nothing more than FreedomWorks/AFP astroturf shilling for Republicans

Every time I see a quote like this, I think of this quote by Sun Tsu: “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”

The Democrats don't know the first thing about the Republicans, their chief political enemies. They know all about the bizarre racist sexist fascist strawmen they create, but they can't even see the real thing standing in front of them.

They are even deaf to Althouse calling them out on this and asking them to at least try to argue about who Republicans really are. And for this simple desire to debate reality instead of fantasy, Althouse is called a right wing shill even though she seems to pretty consistently vote Democrat.

Does it have secret ingredients? Coca Cola had some trace cocaine in it when they started up. Rush's drink may have trace Oxycodone in it to mellow out angry Tea Partiers. But that could backfire and put them all to sleep on election day.

By the way, if you have friends and relatives who differ in preference of sweetened or unsweetend iced tea, you can make simple syrup that mixes well and doesn't sink to the bottom of the glass, the way sugar crystals do. Take a cup of sugar and a cup of water, heat it (stirring) until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool, and it is ready to add to your iced tea to your taste!

It irritates me when just-launched sites have a frequently asked questions section. You just launched! Who are these people queuing up to ask questions? There must be a lot of them for some questions to be asked with greater frequency than others.

When the internet was first developed, I wonder if there were any closet socialists that thought, "Damn! We are SO close. We need another generation to cement the victory, but this thing could undo the whole leap forward."

Unfortunately, light does tend to make the best disinfectant. The internet is nothing if not made of light.

"The tea party is really nothing more than FreedomWorks/AFP astroturf shilling for Republicans."

You are mistaken. I have been to the rallies, I am a tea party member, and I have nothing to do with FreedomWorks and do not know what AFP means. Honest.

Look at your average SEIU protest. The signs are machine made, the people wear the same clothes, and they arrive in one bus.

Contrast that with a tea party rally. Tea party rallies are a sea of individuals who happen to agree on a few things and are trying to do something about them. It has no leader, although there are certainly people we like, it has no overriding organization although there are plenty of people who want a piece of the lucious pie!

The closest analogy would be the peace movement of the 60s. Many of the civil rights protesters were trained in nonvioence and organized. A fine thing in my view as they were attacked by goons and needed the training to survive and keep from getting off the important message.

This is the honest truth garage. You can see it in Madison. The progressives were encouraged and sometimes paid, the tea party folks voted and won. I do not say this to get you to join, although you are certainly welcome, I say it so you can see this accurately. You deserve that. Once you see it accurately, you will be able to have a better idea of how to fight for your political beliefs.

Pretending that we are astroturf cost Nancy the gavel. It will cost the President his teleprompter.

Fuck Rush; he's so early 90's. You must be so new to conservatism you don't recognize he's a has been. Like Mr. multiple wives can lecture me on anything. Same reason Newt needs to shut the fuck up and go away. I fell for that shit 2 decades ago. Save your finger wagging and piss off...hypocrite.

Fuck blue blood/country club Republicans...hypocrites.

This is a new era of conservatism (Libertarian); the old dogs need to fade off into the sunset.